[momtothree]

I need some FReeper gardening advice. I have several Lilacs that grow but won’t bloom. Does anyone have a trick or some helpful tidbit? One Lilac use to bloom but stopped several years ago. I have read online that adding Epsom Salt to the soil or in the water helps. Any advice is truly appreciated. I’ll be in and out today (dealing with tons of little fires that I need to put out) but I will check the Gardening Thread throughout the day. Thank you in advance. Hugs, Mom

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I wouldn't recommend putting anything on the lilacs until you get some idea of what's going on. Get an inexpensive soil test kit at a garden center, or better yet, get a sample kit from your local extension office and send off the test. I suspect it is a nutrient problem, but I couldn't begin to know which one.

You might also do a search engine query on how to fertilize a lilac. That will give you a formulation that is recommended to get the best results.

[MichaelP]

Are they getting enough sun, 5 hrs? Are you getting lawn fertilizer on them, too much nitrogen? Try this link:

Here

Mike

[afraidfortherepublic]

How old are your lilacs? I have several 40 year old lilac bushes that are not blooming well any more. I’ve been told that I should prune them half off and wait 2 years. They should come back strong the 2nd year.

But, I’ve also noticed that nobody’s lilacs are doing well in Wisconsin. I think it might be our strange weather this year.

[afraidfortherepublic]

How old are your lilacs? I have several 40 year old lilac bushes that are not blooming well any more. I’ve been told that I should prune them half off and wait 2 years. They should come back strong the 2nd year.

But, I’ve also noticed that nobody’s lilacs are doing well in Wisconsin. I think it might be our strange weather this year.

[WestwardHo]

Old time gardeners fed their lilacs vinegar water because they like acid soil.
I’d consider using an iron/sulpher solution.
I think keeping the yard too tidy can be a problem. I think they like dead leaves left over the roots.

[Mama_Bear]

I’ve read that proper pruning is the secret to getting lilacs to bloom. I haven’t had a lot of luck with my Persian Lilac. It has gotten to where it only blooms on the very top. The areas where I trim it back on the sides seems to never bloom well again.

[MissMagnolia]

The first thing that crossed my mind is that it might need pruning - when bushes get older, they stop blooming & need to be "refreshed". Here's a video by Mark Viette - he and his dad are well respected & know what they are talking about:

Mark Viette Video - Lilac Pruning Tips

Their website, in general is helpful. There is also a forum where you can add questions. Andre has a very popular radio show - I enjoy listening to it on Saturday mornings!

Hope some of this helps - I love lilacs!

[Nepeta]

Lilacs need full sun to bloom happily. Are yours getting plenty of sunlight?